a lesson in chocolate

January 16, 2014 | Pure Madness

When it comes to chocolate, tasting is the experience. The way you notice the explosion of flavors when the chocolate begins to melt and the way it feels in your mouth as you begin to chew.

Chocolate is a complex food, with well over 600 flavor compounds. Much like wine, it is filled with a variety of flavors and aromas that add to the overall tasting experience. The best way to take in all the flavors is to let the chocolate slowly melt in your mouth before chewing it a few times. This will slowly release each of the flavor notes.

Tasting and calling out the flavors of chocolate is a very individual experience. In a given group, these experiences will vary from person to person.

When hosting a tasting party:

Taste chocolate in a progressive way, starting with the lowest cacao percentage and working your way up to higher percentages.